Why Blazers fans should panic: Decision-making
If Scoot Henderson plans on being the Blazers' lead ball-handler, he must get his decision-making in check. The 6’3 guard is averaging 4.1 assists and 3.1 turnovers in 26.1 minutes per game. His assist-to-turnover ratio is 187th amongst NBA guards this season and his turnover rate is the second-worst among players with at least 13 games played.
Henderson needs to take better care of the ball. He must cut down on the flashy passes and just keep the ball moving. Portland will put talent around him, but it does little good if Scoot fails to put them in positions to succeed. Right now, there are a lot of missed opportunities, but things are slowly improving.
Henderson must let the game slow down. He has played out of control frequently. The 19-year-old must settle in and start distributing the ball. He needs to strike a better balance of scoring versus playmaking and simply cut down on his mistakes.
Will Scoot Henderson become a star? It is too early to tell. He certainly has the athletic ability and ceiling to get there. The 6’3 guard will put in the work, but things need to break right. Only time will tell, but stay tuned because Scoot is only getting better from here.